05/08/2024 -
Sonoma County Board of Education Trustee Andrew Leonard has announced he will not be seeking reelection in November after serving nearly nine years in the role.
Leonard, first appointed in 2015, and elected to the position in 2016 and 2020, expressed his gratitude to the community and his hope for a continued focus on equitable education and family engagement in the county.
“I would like to thank everyone for entrusting me with this role,” said Leonard, the board’s current president. “I have learned so much and have enjoyed working with myriad talented people in the community. It is clear our Board of Trustees, County Superintendent, classified staff, teachers, and administrators are deeply dedicated to the betterment of education in Sonoma County."
The Sonoma County Board of Education’s five members serve four-year terms and oversee the Alternative Education program at the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE). They adopt SCOE’s annual budget and set the salary for the elected Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools. In addition, they function as an appellate board for student expulsions, interdistrict transfers, and charter school petitions.
Leonard's term ends when the next trustee is sworn in in December.
"When I entered this role, I was deeply immersed in 3rd-grade literacy while administrating the Schools of Hope program for United Way. Moving into roles at First 5 and then The LIME Foundation dovetailed with the community’s – and SCOE’s – initiatives around early childhood education and workforce development. As my career has shifted outside of education, it is time to pass the torch to another dedicated community member who is interested in furthering these goals.”
The county board trustees’ elections are staggered to ensure continuity. Current trustees Gina Cuclis and Herman G. Hernandez plan to seek reelection in November. Trustees Dr. Steven D. Herrington’s and Peter Kostas’s terms run through 2026.
Candidates for the county board must live within the trustee area for which they are seeking election. The trustee district boundaries closely align with the district boundaries for the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. A map of the districts is available here.
Interested candidates for the county board or any school district board in Sonoma County are invited to SCOE’s School Board Candidate Forum from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 27. Click here to register. The forum will outline the duties and responsibilities of school board members; provide an overview of the candidate filing process and key deadlines; and preview what candidates might expect from a political campaign, among other topics.
